On September 17, 2023, 16-year-old Royce Hayes Osburn was fatally shot at a residence in Clinton, Missouri. The incident occurred late that Sunday evening at a home shared by the teen, his mother, and his grandfather. Authorities responded to the scene after a 911 call in which a witness could be heard asking the victim who had shot him, to which the teen reportedly replied that his grandfather had done so accidentally.
Upon arrival, law enforcement officers found Osburn suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite emergency efforts, the teenager, whose future aspirations included becoming a law enforcement officer, succumbed to his injuries.
Police identified the shooter as Osburn’s 70-year-old grandfather, Thomas Ribby. According to probable cause statements and investigation reports, Ribby had earlier provided the teen with an unloaded Glock handgun to handle and play with. Ribby later retrieved the weapon, inserted a loaded magazine, and placed it in a case near his bed. The firearm was subsequently removed from the case, and at some point, Ribby took the gun back. He reportedly removed the magazine and, believing the chamber to be empty, pulled the trigger while the weapon was pointed at his grandson, shooting him in the back.
Following the shooting, Ribby allegedly retreated into his apartment and locked the door, refusing to exit when officers arrived. Police were forced to breach the residence to take him into custody. Ribby was arrested and booked into the Henry County Jail. Prosecutors initially filed charges against him including first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, and resisting arrest. He was held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. Family members expressed devastation and anger following the event, with Osburn’s mother publicly voicing her heartbreak over the loss of her son and the actions of her father.
